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More Buffalo Sabres Turmoil

Jack Eichel Wont Sign Extension If Bylsma Is Coach

The coach’s future with the Sabres was already in question given their middling results since he took over in 2015. But Paul Hamilton of WGR-AM 550 in Buffalo dropped a bomb at the end of his report on Wednesday, regarding the Sabres’ franchise player:

Inside sources have told me that Eichel has no desire to sign a contract extension this summer if Bylsma remains the coach, so quite a bit hinges on this meeting.

As for Eichel, he was visibly angry at the end of another lost season for Buffalo. But as Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News notes, his attitude towards his coach – and this new report on his contract status – point to some level of petulance from a young star player:

Eichel has some growing up to do if he wants to be taken seriously as a leader. Leaders don’t undercut the coach as many times as Eichel has this season. Or make veiled comments about teammates, like Eichel clearly has about Josh Gorges more than once when referencing players who speak but don’t perform on the ice. Leaders don’t brood and pout in front of the media either like Eichel did to absurd levels Monday on locker cleanout day.
Maybe Eichel was upset at narrowly missing a $2 million performance bonus. Maybe he was miffed about the Sabres’ PR staff smartly asking him to meet the media at the interview room podium rather than form a mob scrum around his stall in the dressing room. Whatever. Deal with it. You’re the face of the franchise. This wasn’t a good face.

So it's ok for Hank to do it to Torts, but not ok for Eichel to do it to Bylsma? There's clearly seperation in that room, so just like JT (and I loved JT), Bylsma has to go.

Reading about that the other day was the first time I'd heard about it, but fair point.
I'd argue that there'd be some difference in getting shit from a veteran (Hank) than a rookie (Eichel), but whatever.

The difference between a Hank and Eichel here is seniority. When Hank mutinied to get Torts canned he'd been a star in the league for years. Eichel is a rookie, so there's always going to be a stigma associated with this kind of behavior this early in his career.

Not to mention it's in addition to other poor behavior you don't want to see continue to develop and get fostered.

Eichel has some growing up to do if he wants to be taken seriously as a leader. Leaders don’t undercut the coach as many times as Eichel has this season. Or make veiled comments about teammates, like Eichel clearly has about Josh Gorges more than once when referencing players who speak but don’t perform on the ice. Leaders don’t brood and pout in front of the media either like Eichel did to absurd levels Monday on locker cleanout day.

Maybe Eichel was upset at narrowly missing a $2 million performance bonus. Maybe he was miffed about the Sabres’ PR staff smartly asking him to meet the media at the interview room podium rather than form a mob scrum around his stall in the dressing room. Whatever. Deal with it. You’re the face of the franchise. This wasn’t a good face.

The difference between a Hank and Eichel here is seniority. When Hank mutinied to get Torts canned he'd been a star in the league for years. Eichel is a rookie, so there's always going to be a stigma associated with this kind of behavior this early in his career.

Not to mention it's in addition to other poor behavior you don't want to see continue to develop and get fostered.

He's a star in the making, I agree. But it's still a seniority thing. Any time a rookie does this it never looks good on them. Even if he's right. Even if the whole team agrees (like much of the Rangers did with Torts). It's an optics thing.

He's a star in the making, I agree. But it's still a seniority thing. Any time a rookie does this it never looks good on them. Even if he's right. Even if the whole team agrees (like much of the Rangers did with Torts). It's an optics thing.

He's a star in the making, I agree. But it's still a seniority thing. Any time a rookie does this it never looks good on them. Even if he's right. Even if the whole team agrees (like much of the Rangers did with Torts). It's an optics thing.

He's a star in the making, I agree. But it's still a seniority thing. Any time a rookie does this it never looks good on them. Even if he's right. Even if the whole team agrees (like much of the Rangers did with Torts). It's an optics thing.

He's in his second season. I know he was a 2nd OA pick, but let's not talk like he has even 5 years under his belt.

I'm not, but two years in the league is a far cry from being a rookie. Especially when a player is, by far, the best player on his team and one of the best in the league.

Eichel might always live in McDavid's shadow, but to be a PPG player, or very close to it, playing primarily on a line with Sam Reinhart and freaking Marcus Foligno is unrivaled in the league right now. None of the other comparable scorers did it with such a dreary cast around them and it's not even close.